INTER-STATE NEWS. NEW SOUTH WALES. SYDNEY, October 29. Mr. George Harris, of Ultimo, has presented a cheque for £1,000 towards a hospital for consumptive women. A fire broke out in the Stanford Merthyr colliery, fourteen miles from West Maitland, this morning, followed by two explosions. The first of these took place at noon, causing but little damage. The second occurred about twenty minutes later when the leading mine owners and officials were down the pit. The last explosion caused the death of five and seriously injured sine others. Six of the latter were removed to the Maitland hospital. Among the killed and. wounded were one of the owners and several pro minent mining officials. The ventilat ing fan, which ventilates the tunnel from the shaft, was completely wrecked. October 31. A cable message received from Durban yesterday stated that Willis had been remanded to New Sooth Wales on charges of false pretences in connection with the Reibardt land case. Two other charges against...

GENERAL ITEMS. LONDON, October 29. ] A by-election was held yesterday for Hampstead, and resulted in the victory of a Unionist candidate over the Liberal one. General Booth yesterday received the freedom of the City of London. October 29. The rice crop in Japan is mnch below the estimate. Three prefec tures are threatened with famine. October 30. Although the Russian lists revealed only 976 Japanese prisoners, it has now transpired that there are 1778, and mnch indignation is felt in Japan at this deception.

A CRANE REQUIRED. TO THE EDITOR. Bir,-l would point out a very urgent want at the Government goods shed. Pieces of machinery, wool presses, oases of galvanised icon, windmill parts, &amp;c., are being constantly landed in Carnarvon. These are put into the trucks on the jetty from the ship's slings. On arrival at the goods shed these weighty and cumbersome goods have to be unloaded by the most primitive means, and similar means are used to load the settlers' teams. A travel ling crane and platform is urgently re quired. Visitors to our town are surprised that we have not petitioned the Govern ment ere this. In all the railway or goods shed? I have seen in different parts of Aus tralia, there has invariably been some crane, tackling, or other device for lifting and moving heavy weight*. The Govern ment derive a good revenue from our jetty and shed, about JS65G I think for current year, and for this amount should provide us with all necessary facilities. As the re laying of the tra...

THE ANNUAL CARNIVAL The following is a list of the various functions to take place daring Race and Show week: I Tuesday, November *7.-First day's rac- i ing. j Tuesday Night.-Address to the electors ; by Mr. W. J. Batcher, M.L.A., at the I Jubilee Hall, at 8 p.m. . , Wednesday Night, November 8.-Chil- I dren'e entertainment at the Jubilee H&amp;1L Proceeds in aid of the Anglican Church. Thursday, November 9.-Second day's racing. Thursday Night.-Concert at Jubilee ! Hall in aid of Boman Catholic Church. Friday, November 10.-Race Club Ball at Jubilee Hall. Saturday, November 11.-Settling over the races at 3 p.m., at Tattersall's. Annual meeting of members of the Gas coyne Racing Club at 8 p.m., at the Game place. Monday, November 13.-Gascoyne Pas toral is tV Association annual show. Monday Evening, November 13.-Maslc and domino ball at Jabilee Hall. . Tuesday,-November 14.-Show sales of stock by Messrs. Baston &amp; Co. and Dal gety &amp; Co.,. Ltd. ... Tuesday evening, No...

STOCK AND STATION NEWS. [Items of news intended for publication in this column will be gladly welcomed.] It is stated that a British South-East African syndicate is importing large num- bers of Australian merino sheep. Messrs. Baston &amp; Co. notify in their auction sale advertisement that they have been instructed to sell, either privately or by auction, the well-bred trotting horse Rufus. Messrs. Dalgety &amp; Co. shipped per the Charon 1,429 sheep on account of Messrs. J. &amp; C. Butcher. Mr. J. Bates, who has just delivered the mob of 4000 sheep which he travelled over- land from Pardoo station to Jimba Jimba, has furnished us with a few particulars of the poison plant on the Ashburton which has caused such big loss of stock recently. The Government Botanist (Dr. Morrison) in his report stated that the cattle poisoned were said to have eaten the plant at sunset and died shortly afterwards. &amp;nbsp; Mr. Bates, who has had as much ex- &amp;nbsp; perience wi...

DERBY NEWS. DBBBT. October 16. This usually quiet town baa had a fort- -j night's gaiety on end. The following is a . brief report of the chief events of the j festive season. i State School Concert.-A concert was | held in the Mechanics' Hall on Friday, September 22, in aid of the State School Prize Fond. Rev, W. Grahame Haynes occupied the chair, and an interesting and varied programme was rendered by local j artistes. A large audience gathered and j evinced its appreciation by frequent and hearty applause. A dance was indulged ^ in at the completion of the concert, which continued until the small hours of the uiorning. Mr. Steen, the State school waster, is to be congratulated upon the success of his Iau&amp;lt;la'»ie efforts in so good a cause the receipts of th«* entertainment amounting to £23. The expenses, how ever, being rather heavy, reduced the bene fit to the fund to .£12. Race Meeting.-The we meeting, an annual event, began on Tuesday, Septem ber 26. The racecourse b...

SECOND DAY. Disteict PLATE, of 35 BOVB. ; second horse to receive 5 SOTS, out of the stake. One mile. Mr.- G. A. Saunders' Chips, 4 years, 9^9 &amp;lt;3>uy) ... ... ... 1 Mr. W. Ellery's Fireplug, Aged, 9.13 (Knowles) ... ... 2 Mr. J. A. Morreil's Kingbolt, 3 yeus, 8.11 (T.Thomas) 3 Federation 9.13 (Ridley) and Lottery 8.11 (Aahfold) -also started. Federation carried 9 lbs. overweight. Lottery and Fireplug led off. Federation and Chips being the last to get away. At the four furlongs post Kingbolt started to overhaul the leaders and led into the straight from Fireplug and Chips. The'latter, who cer tainly appeared from the stand to be bear ing in on Kingbolt, cams with a fast rnn at the finish and won by half a length, Fireplug being two or three lengths be hind Kingbolt. Time, 1. min. 50J sec. Totalizator investments - Fireplug 24, Federation 4. Chips 20, Kingbolt 79, Lot tery lG. Protests were entered against Chips and Kingbolt for boring, and. after taking evidence the ste...

STOCK AND STATION NEWS. Sales of live stock were held on the Royal Agricultural Society's Show ground on Saturday, when some specially fine cheep were submitted on account of a number of South Australian breeders. Eight merino rams brought 9} gnineas each. Sams from the Koonoona estate were offered for the first time for sale by public auction. They are large-framed healthy animals carrying good fleeces. Ten of them were sold and averaged eight guineas. The highest price paid- was 14 guineas for a selected ram eighteen months old from the Hill Civer estate. A large number of Shropshire and other breeds were sold averaging from five tp six guineas. Horses, cattle, pigs and poultry realised good prices. The sale - was very successful. Mr. Woolhouee, who has just returned from Leonora, where he delivered a mob of sheep which he overlandedfrom Fortescue. reports that the stock route mentioned is in urgent need of attention, the veils in some cases being in a very bad state. During the t...

DR. HICKS AT ROB BOURNE. BOEBOITENE, October 31. Dr. Hicke (Minister for Commerce sad Labour) arrived on Friday and wu *rel comn) in Cossack "Roads on board the' boat by the Mayors of Boebourne and Cossack. An urgent wire from the Premier ad rising Dr. Hicks' prompt return per the Charon necessitated hurried arrangement! being made for his reception. This took the form of a social, in lien of the banquet proposed. The function was attended by a large num ber of electors. The loyal toaet having been duly honoured, the chairman (Mr. T. Porter. Mayor of Boebourne), said it was a I pleasing duty to introduce Dr. Hicks to the audience. The public was satisfied with tbe efforts made by their member on behalf of the district, as was evidenced by the fact that he had been returned four times un opposed. He called upon Mr. Hall (Mayor of Cossack) to epeak upon the necessity of tram connection with Point Sampson jettys, Mr. Hall said this was the first intima tion he had that he was expected ...

CORRESPONDENCE. A COMPLAINT. To THE EDITOR. SIB,-On Thursday evening I attended a concert in the Jubilee Hall and went with the intention of enjoying the various it ms on the programme, bat my enjoyment (as well as that of the majority of the people in the hall) was marred by the unseemly conduct of a set of larrikins at the rear of the hall. It is a disgraceful state of affairs when a performer, after a meritorious performance, has to descend into the body of the hall in order to check the Hooli ganism and interruptions from people who onght have known better. I write this in order to draw the attention of the police to the matter, ao that they may take steps to keep order at our entertainments earlier in the evening than they did on Thursday. .... I am , &amp;c., CITIZEN. A miner named Frawley was buried alive at Baloug on Friday owing,,io the collapse of the hanging footwall in the mine in which he was employed. iVhen the body was recovered life was extinct.